1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for regulating tension on shoelaces that are laced through the eyelets of shoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many conventional shoes, particularly shoes worn for participation in athletic events, are formed with a plurality of reinforced eyelets which extend on both sides of the center of the upper from the vamp up to the ankle of the shoe. The eyelets are located on the facing edges of the shoe upper directly over the tongue of the shoe. A shoelace is then laced through the eyelets. The free ends of the shoelace are typically encased within small, rigid, cylindrical plastic tips which facilitate insertion of the shoelace ends through the eyelets. The ends of the shoelace are first passed through the eyelets adjacent the vamp and are progressively laced upwardly, crossing over the tongue each time from one eyelet to the next from the vamp of the shoe up to the ankle. Once the free ends of the shoelace have been threaded through the uppermost eyelets at the ankle of the shoe they are normally tied together.
In vigorous athletic contests the feet of a wearer, and consequently the shoes, undergo a great deal of flexing movement. As a result, shoelaces which are tied under a light tension to hold the shoe comfortably on the foot of the wearer are placed in far greater tension with flexing movement of the wearer's foot and sometimes with swelling of the foot within the shoe. Since the ends of the shoelace are tied together the length of the portion of the shoelace that is laced through the eyelets is fixed. Thus, the shoelace cannot yield to any significant degree during flexing of the shoe. As a consequence, the increased tension in the shoelace during flexure creates discomfort to the foot of the wearer.
Very often the flexing movement of a shoe, the lace of which is tied too tightly, will cause the shoelace to be drawn tightly across the top of the foot of the wearer. This creates discomfort to the wearer. Indeed, the imprints of the tightly drawn shoelaces can often be seen in the skin of the top of the wearers foot when the shoe and sock are removed if the shoelace has been tied too tightly. This not only creates discomfort for the wearer, but also results in an increase in fatigue and may well reduce the effectiveness of the athletic performance of the wearer.
On the other hand, if a wearer attempts to compensate for the anticipated flexing of the shoe during an athletic contest by tying the shoelace with insufficient initial tension, the shoe will often be too loose on the foot of the wearer. In this circumstance the wearer's footwork is likely to be less agile and more clumsy than is the case when the wearer's shoes are tied more tightly. This loss of agility can adversely affect the athletic performance of a wearer in vigorous sports which demand a high level of rapid movement and agility, such as in the sports of basketball, soccer, tennis and volleyball, for example.
Some articles of footwear have been devised in which the portion of the upper of a shoe above the top of a wearer's foot is equipped with an elastic material. Thus, as the foot is flexed and unflexed the elastic material yields, thus regulating the tension of the footwear across the top of the wearer's foot to some degree. However, the wearer has no control whatsoever over the amount of elasticity in the shoe upper. Rather, the degree of elasticity in the shoe is determined when the shoe is made and cannot be altered as desired by a user to specific circumstances or according to different sporting activities in which the user may wish to engage.